Limpet Mines Return to the Gulf as Iran Strikes Four Tankers Near the Strait of Hormuz

Between October 29 and 30, Iran attacked at least four tankers across the Strait of Hormuz and the waters around it. The attacks ranged from projectiles to hull-mounted explosives, and they struck laden and empty vessels, Qatari- and UAE-owned tonnage, and tankers that had spent weeks operating dark. Iranian sources separately claimed that four tankers hit mines in the Strait and caught fire, but it is unclear whether they were referring to additional vessels beyond the four confirmed.

Projectiles Strike a Laden LNG Carrier Inside the Gulf On October 30, AL MAYEDA (IMO 9397298), a Marshall Islands-flagged, Qatari-owned LNG carrier, laden with an unknown quantity of LNG according to Vortexa, was struck by three projectiles around 18:00 UTC, approximately 40 nautical miles south of Lavan Island. Windward data show AL MAYEDA turning around at 18:33 UTC before going dark at 22:17 UTC.

AL MAYEDA had previously been dark between September 27 and October 30, and crossed inbound through the Strait of Hormuz during that period.

Limpet Mines Return to the Gulf The same day, a small boat approached LOUISE 1 (IMO 9290323), a Panama-flagged, Panama-owned crude oil tanker, approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, and emplaced two explosive devices on its hull. The explosion caused a fire in the engine room and briefly disabled the vessel.

This story was originally published by Hellenic Shipping News. Read the full story at Hellenic Shipping News →